


Of teeth and such

by bunnysworld



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-12
Updated: 2013-09-12
Packaged: 2017-12-26 08:49:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/963975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnysworld/pseuds/bunnysworld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin breaks a tooth and doesn't take it well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of teeth and such

**Author's Note:**

> This bit of fluff was written a while ago while waiting at the dentist. Since another dentist appointment looms at the horizon, I thought I'd post it now.

“Fuck!“

Arthur looked up from the papers he was reading through to see Merlin hectically shove his fork around the breakfast on his plate.

“What is it?” Merlin never cursed.

“I...nothing.” Not looking up from his plate, Merlin reached into his food, or rather what looked like a good portion of what he’d already chewed, and plucked a tiny piece out.

Oh, that was disgusting. Arthur made a face and watched as Merlin inspected the piece and paled. “What is it, Merlin?”

“I think...I chipped a tooth.” Merlin stared at what just moments ago had been a piece of a fully functional molar.

Papers forgotten, Arthur got up. “Are you in pain?”

Shaking his head, Merlin still just looked.

“Let’s get you to the dentist.” Arthur already reached for his jacket and the car keys.

“No, it’s nothing. Really, I’m fine.”

“Merlin, you need to have that checked.”

Paling even more, Merlin vehemently shook his head. “No dentist!”

But Arthur wasn’t having any of that. He grabbed Merlin by the shoulder and pulled him up. “Who’s your dentist? When was your last check-up?” He pushed Merlin’s jacket into his hands and shoved Merlin out of the door. 

“Last summer! Everything was fine!”

“Doesn’t mean it hasn’t changed.” Arthur opened the car and pushed Merlin into the passenger’s seat, before getting in and starting the car. “Where to?”

Merlin worried his lip. “Ealdor?”

“You don’t even have a dentist here in London?”

Just shaking his head as an answer, Merlin seemed to shrink into the seat even further.

“Dr. Bergen it is, then.”

 

At the dentist’s office, Arthur had to grab Merlin’s elbow and almost pull him in. Merlin was breathing faster, his forehead shone with sweat, making the hair damp and a little bit curly.

Usually Arthur loved that look on him, but in an entirely different context. He hated to see the other man so obviously scared. 

Mrs. King greeted him with a wide smile. “Mr. Pendragon! What can I do for you today?”

“It’s my friend here, he seems to have chipped a tooth. Can Dr. Bergen take a look at it?”

Arthur could feel that Merlin was tense and knew he’d take the first chance he got to flee.

With an apologetic smile, Mrs. King started “I’m so sorry, Dr. Bergen is...” Arthur pushed his credit card across the counter, “..really busy, but I just see that someone cancelled an appointment. If you’d take a seat in the waiting room, please. I’ll call you in right away.” She smiled at Merlin, who managed a weak grimace that hardly passed as a smile.

As they waited, Arthur told Merlin stories about his trips to this office as a kid. He held Merlin’s hand and didn’t comment on Merlin’s nails digging painfully into his arm. Arthur smiled encouragingly as he talked about his fight with the dentist over braces, a battle he’d won. Hence the slightly crooked teeth, but Dr. Bergen had fixed everything else that ever occurred. “It’ll be okay. It never is a bad as you expect.”

At first, Merlin didn’t even seem to listen and then shot him a look that clearly stated that he expected this to be as bad as he feared. No, not as bad. Worse!

Mrs. King showed up to accompany him to the room and Merlin followed her like a kicked puppy.

Arthur wandered along, taking a seat outside the surgery. Not that he could do much there, but he wanted Merlin to know he was there.

About thirty minutes later, Merlin reappeared and Arthur jumped up. “How are you?”

“Numb,” Merlin mumbled, pointing at his mouth.

Dr. Bergen came out to remind Merlin to not eat or drink for about two hours and to come back in about two weeks for a follow-up check.

Arthur nodded. “We’ll be here. Thank you, Dr. Bergen.” He grabbed Merlin’s jacket and wrapped it around his shoulders. Merlin’s T-shirt was all sweaty and so was his hair, his breathing was only slowly coming back to normal. “Let’s get you home.”

Merlin spent the afternoon curled up on the couch, sleeping most of the time. Arthur just made sure that he drank some tea and had enough blankets. 

When he checked on him again, Merlin was awake, but just staring ahead. He knelt down in front of the couch. “Is the numbness gone? How are you feeling?”

“Embarrassed,” came a low mumble and Merlin tried to bury deeper into the blankets.

Arthur reached out and brushed the pad of his thumb against Merlin’s cheek.

“Come on, say it, I’m just a pathetic whimp.”

A small grin played around Arthur’s lips. “Nonsense. It’s just...adorable.”

Merlin huffed. “Adorable?”

Arthur nodded. “The man who threw himself in the way of bulldozers to save the old oaks in Ridley Park and almost single-handedly saved and relocated the population of common hamsters where they built the new stadium,” he couldn’t help but chuckled, “the man who gave Uther Pendragon a flaming speech about love and how we can’t choose what we are and who we love. That man is afraid of going to the dentist, that’s pretty damn adorable.”

Sighing, Merlin leaned into Arthur’s touch. “How do you even put up with me?”

Leaning forward and kissing Merlin’s forehead lightly, Arthur whispered “I just love you, that’s all.”


End file.
